Seniors: Learn How to Travel, Earn Money Using Airbnb and VRBO Vacation Rentals

In just their first two years as hosts for Airbnb, retirees Butch and Arlyn Matson have received guests to their home from 17 countries, including guests from Europe, Asia, and South America. That’s especially notable considering that one of those years was during the COVID 19 pandemic with restrictions on international travel.

Arlyn and Butch are part of a growing trend of senior adults benefiting from the short-term home rental business, dominated by industry leaders Airbnb and VRBO. More and more retirees are either choosing to stay in private homes when they travel or going into business as hosts, renting out a portion of their home to earn extra income and meet interesting people.

According to Airbnb, senior adults are the fastest-growing segment of travelers. Prior to the pandemic, the percentage of seniors booking lodging on Airbnb was growing at strong double-digit annual rates. Many retirees and other senior adults are also serving as hosts.

Kathy and I are part of this trend. We’re not hosts, but we’ve stayed in numerous private homes while traveling, mostly through either Airbnb or VRBO but some from smaller rental firms, in locations as diverse as Pflugerville, Texas, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The above photo was taken during our family’s Christmas vacation one year relaxing at the beach at Navarre Beach, Florida, in a beautiful private home.

Welcome to Paradise

One of our favorite home-rental experiences was with Butch and Arlyn, who live in Cape Coral, Florida, a sprawling city on the Gulf Coast on the outskirts of Fort Myers, Florida. Their home is listed on Airbnb as “Welcome To Paradise” and it doesn’t take long to see where the name comes from. The home is on a canal that leads boaters to the Gulf of Mexico and features a large, screened lanai with a heated swimming pool. Guests have private use of the pool during their stays. The views are stunning both day and night, especially at sunset. The hosts have kayaks if you want to tour the canal on your own. They often offer to take guests cruising on the canal in their boat for a modest fee.

One of the benefits of staying in a home versus a hotel is the extra space. You can rent an entire home, condo or garage apartment, but like many hosts, Arlyn and Butch rent out only a portion of their home. It’s what’s called a shared or partial rental. While we rented a bedroom and a private bathroom (with access to a second bedroom if we needed it), Kathy and I were free to roam most of their spacious and well-furnished home, including the large kitchen, a comfortable den, and of course the gorgeous pool, tiki hut, and backyard.

This was our first time to try a shared rental. We had always preferred to have our own place and privacy, and most likely that will continue to be our usual preference when renting. In this case, however, renting in a home where the hosts live worked great. Butch and Arlyn were great hosts, who were as friendly and talkative as we wanted to be but also respected our space and privacy. They offered us excellent insights into the local area, including restaurant recommendations and traffic information. By the time our stay ended, we felt like we had made new friends.

Reasons to Consider Staying in a Private Home

While sometimes a hotel may be your best choice when traveling, you should at least explore the idea of staying in a private home. Here are some of the many benefits:

• More space. As we experienced when staying with Arlyn and Butch in their Southwest Florida canal home, you can enjoy much more space in an Airbnb or VRBO home rental versus a typical hotel room. Especially if you rent an entire home or condo, odds are good you will enjoy lodging similar to home, with a full kitchen, a living room, a yard, and in some cases use of a washer and dryer. If you have the money to spend, you can rent large, luxurious homes, many with views of lakes, oceans, golf courses, or mountains.
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  Budget travelers can find plenty of small spaces like this garage apartment on home rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO.

   

  Value. If you want to bring the whole family together, such as we did for a Christmas celebration at Navarre Beach, renting a home may be less expensive than renting several hotel rooms – not to mention the other benefits of having all the family together under one roof. At the other end of the spectrum, if you are traveling solo or on a tight budget, you can find home-based lodging that is sometimes considerably cheaper than nearby hotels. This may mean renting a private bedroom in someone’s house or a simple garage apartment, but that may be all you need. I recently stayed for two nights in a private (not shared) space in someone’s home in a safe and upscale suburban neighborhood for only $118, and that included cleaning fees and taxes. That’s real value!

• Convenience. Private homes may be easier to navigate, more convenient, and with less hassle than a hotel.  This can be an important consideration for senior travelers.
  “It’s more compact,” said Butch, speaking of the benefits of staying in a home. “Guests can park in the driveway, close to their room. It’s not a very long distance to carry their stuff and they don’t have to go up and down elevators.”
• Safety from COVID. During the COVID pandemic, more travelers than ever have turned to Airbnb and VRBO rentals because they feel safer from infection there versus a hotel. If you rent an entire home or a private apartment at someone’s home, you won’t have to interact with hotel staff or other guests in hallways, lobbies, or other shared spaces. You won’t have to share space on an elevator with strangers. Many home rentals offer contactless check-in where you are given a code to check into your space without having to ever meet the host. Home rental companies like Airbnb and VRBO have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures during the pandemic. You can filter your search for rooms to look only for hosts who are complying with these stricter guidelines. Some hosts have a policy of not renting a space again for 48 hours after someone has checked out, to allow time for germs in that space to die. This is, of course, in addition to thorough cleaning and sanitation.
• Be social – or not. If you are a social person and view part of the excitement of travel as meeting new people, then a home-based rental may be just for you, especially if you choose a shared-home rental like we did with Arlyn and Butch. Some hosts welcome interaction and will even share meals (or boat rides) with guests. You can read reviews from other guests and get a good idea of how social the hosts tend to be. On the other hand, if you’re an introvert and really do not like to interact with other people, a home rental can work for you too. By choosing a private space with it’s own entrance and contactless check-in, you can stay in a home without ever meeting the hosts or anyone else. In all of the home rentals we’ve experienced, I’d say we’ve not met the hosts more often than we have. Hosts have their own busy lives and also don’t want to intrude on guests’ privacy.
• Great for large family gatherings. Airbnb says multi-generation family bookings are popular. Many seniors reserve lodging for themselves along with children and grandchildren, whether it be for a holiday, a family reunion, or other celebrations. Based on our positive experience at Navarre Beach, our family is planning another holiday gathering at a different beachfront home later this year. It would be impossible to get the same experience at a hotel.
• Experience authentic international cultures. The short-term home rental business is worldwide. You can rent a home in Scotland or Japan as easily as you can rent one in Orlando or Aspen. Many travelers say that staying in a home gives them a better feel for the local culture. After all, Holidays Inns look about the same no matter where they are, but homes and neighborhoods do not. Plus, it’s not just the home you’re renting. You also have access to local people, the hosts, who can make your visit to their area more enjoyable.
  “If you’re going to another country, you can get a lot of local information from the hosts when staying in an Airbnb,” Butch said.

Benefits for Seniors Who Host Home Rentals

More than 400,000 seniors are serving as hosts for Airbnb rentals, a number that grows steadily each year. Airbnb says seniors are also among the most favorite hosts, with 85 percent of them earning the top five-star rating from guests. The opportunity to rent a portion of their homes through networks like Airbnb and VRBO has improved the lives of many senior adults.

Key reasons why senior adults choose to host home rentals include:

• Provides a new source of retirement income. Many retirees find themselves with larger homes than they need but limited income. Renting out a room or a garage apartment in their home to travelers can generate much-appreciated additional income.
  “We had unused space in our home and thought it (renting through Airbnb) would be a good idea,” Butch said. “The revenue is a big factor. It can help with the mortgage.”
  Airbnb says the three ways seniors most frequently use this extra income are (1) to help with their mortgage or rent payments, (2) to pay for everyday expenses like food and gas, and (3) to pay down other debts. Some retirees use the extra income to finance their own travels.
• Gives an added reason to stay in one’s own home. Sometimes seniors feel pressured by family and friends to sell their “big house” and move to something smaller, but they like their home, are emotionally attached to it, and don’t want to sell. By turning their home into a revenue-generating business, it makes it easier to justify “aging in place” in one’s own home. The added income can also help with home repairs and upgrades.
• Say goodbye to loneliness. Especially for widowed seniors and others who live alone, loneliness is a major problem. You can feel isolated in your home. Studies show that a lack of social interaction is not good for your health. Renting to travelers can help solve these problems. You will have a steady flow of interesting guests coming and going and will meet people from various cultures and backgrounds. Suddenly, the home won’t seem so big and lonely anymore.
  “You’ll have travelers to chat with and offer advice to,” said a blog post from GuestReady.com. “You’ll be able to share your local knowledge and stories with people who will truly appreciate you. For many retirees, just the sound of someone else puttering around in the kitchen can be reassuring.”
• Keep your mind engaged and fill your time. After people retire and the initial thrill of being able to “do nothing” every day wears off (it won’t take long), many retirees complain that they lack direction and purpose. Working gave them a reason to get up and get moving every morning. It helped define them. Becoming a host on Airbnb or VRBO can provide just the new focus you need. You transition from being a bored retiree to operating your own hospitality business. This new venture may even improve your mental acuity and slow down the onset of dementia.

The Downsides of Traveling or Hosting With Airbnb, VRBO

Our personal experience with renting rooms and homes from individuals through networks like Airbnb and VRBO has been very positive. We read the home descriptions, the “house rules” that the host may post, and especially the helpful reviews from other guests. Doing your homework eliminates most of the potential unpleasant surprises.

At the same time, renting from individuals does require a bit more flexibility and understanding on your part. If you rent a room from a national hotel chain, odds are there will be good consistency and quality standards from one location to the next. Not so when renting from individuals. We stayed in one place that had no TV set, which wasn’t a big deal for us but is unusual these days. We stayed in one home rental where the small kitchen in our guest suite had two mismatched countertops next to each other, probably because one counter was an add-on, and some of the door-frame trim wasn’t painted. These minor imperfections didn’t affect our guest experience, but they are not something you’d encounter staying at a Marriott.

You have to understand this is someone’s home. People’s standards and tastes vary. The hosts are not career hospitality industry professionals. If you’re in a shared space, there may be children or pets wandering around or making noise. Here again, reading the reviews before you rent can eliminate many of these surprises. In one listing I was considering, I learned in the reviews that the host’s cat jumped up on guests and pretty much owned the place. I’m not a cat person, so I didn’t consider renting that space after reading those comments.

The bottom line is that you need to approach renting from an individual differently and be more tolerate. If you are an uptight person who always expects perfection and is quick to complain, then renting from an individual is not for you. Stick with Marriott.

Most hosts we’ve talked with are pleased with their decision and excited to talk about the many benefits of hosting. As we have seen, there are many reasons why a retired person or couple might want to become a host. If you are considering hosting your home, however, keep in mind that it is a business. Success won’t come without effort on your part. Competition for renters is keen in many markets. To be competitive, you may need to spend money upfront to remodel or upgrade the space you plan to rent. You will want to provide the niceties that will keep guests happy and writing those coveted five-star reviews. This includes good mattresses, quality linens, toiletries, a coffee maker, and furniture that’s in good repair and stylish. Attention to details matters. Practicing good customer-service skills is also important. Be responsive to guest needs. Be friendly and helpful. Go the extra mile when necessary.

Give Short-term Home Rentals a Try

Never stayed in an Airbnb, VRBO, or similar home rental? Maybe it’s time to break with your hotel tradition and give it a try. Kathy and I still do both, but increasing we’re favoring rentals through services like Airbnb and VRBO, especially for mult-night stays. Not only are they sometimes a better value than hotels, but the overall experience of staying in a home versus a hotel just makes travel more fun and adventurous. We also make great people, like Arlyn and Butch, and our lives are enriched by these social interactions.

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Do you rent (or host) through short-term home rental companies like Airbnb and VRBO? Share your experiences with other readers by leaving your comment in the section below.